The Three Bloods
by Rockpopple
Summary: When Samus is seperated from her Power Suit, she must learn to rely on the power of her bloods, and of another 'hatchling'; a child that wants nothing to do with her. [ Update CH 5]
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**:     Samus Aran and the Metroid are properties of **Nintendo @-2002,2003**

**The Three Bloods**

**Dither Bikky says:**

Hallo! This is honestly my first Metroid fan fiction…so please good people, if you have any suggestions or if I've made any mistakes concerning the Metroid fandom, please let me know. I'll tell you in advance that I've taken a few…liberties with the fandom, so it's not completely canon. Forgiveness :)

Also…This story has a stupid name…but I can't really think of another one, so…here it is.

One last note… If you're a Zelda™ fan, check out my Wind Waker fan fiction. Later!

**Prologue:**

Destruction. Desolation. Carnage. Misery.  That is what awaited them when they arrived on this pitiful colony. As the exited from their vessels, the sense of death assaulted their cells. 

The Miz'Corhani were here. Those wretched fallen ones, who once dared to call themselves Chozo, they had caused all of this chaos. It was as the prophecy said:

 _They will fall from the flock, their feathers blackened, their beaks turned away from the light, and to a distant people they will seek a terrible retribution._

The Chozo consolidated themselves, and took the form of three corporeal bodies. At once they began to sift through the garbage, through the piles of burnt rubbles and bodies. Two of them were searching in earnest while at the same time giving respect to those who lost their lives at the hands of the Miz'Corhani, but there was one who did not. He stood around, kicking a few shards of fried metal, pushing aside corpses with his feet.

"What are you doing?" asked a tall and dark Chozo. The other looked at him wearily.

"We should not be wasting time in this filth chasing legends." He said. "We should be fulfilling our destinies, not relying on…" He trailed off and sneered at the body of a female, a gaping hole burning on her back. "On outsiders."

The other shook his head slowly. "We must follow the prophecy. If they bid us to depend on…outsiders… then we must."

"I disagree."

There was a call out from another of their number, and the two Chozo walked towards it. They moved through what used to be some sort of Park. There was a small pond that was died red with the color of the sky, and there were instruments of play scattered and broken along the small landscape. There, they located the Chozo. She was holding a female human child. The child's green eyes were locked in a gaze that still seemed to be witnessing the terror that had ensued only hours past. 

"Where did you find her?" the tall and dark Chozo asked.

She looked to the ground; where the bodies of a man and a woman were placed across each other, face down. "They where on top of her," the Chozo said.

It was in fulfillment of the prophecy:

 _From the burning earth, under the ruins of happiness and family, she would be born. The hatchling. _

"It is a hatchling," the tall and dark Chozo said. The one to his side shook his head in disgust, but he was ignored, for this was a great day. The prophecy had come to pass, the hatchling of this galaxy had been found.

When the Chozo neared the girl and moved his hand to her forehead, he drew it back suddenly. The other Chozo looked at her in alarm. "She-She is not simply the hatchling…"

The others stared at the child warily, for there was another prophecy that had yet to be fulfilled that now came to their minds:

 _The blood of her enemies, and of her creators, she will drink. Their bloods will feed and sustain her, and she will be the Champion, the Three Bloods. Her wrath shall be boundless upon her enemies, and they will fear her._

"This hatchling is the Champion, the Three Bloods," the Chozo whispered with reverence. The others bowed their heads reflectively, even the one who at first showed the child nothing but contempt.  

The Chozo leaned close to the terrified child and attempted to smile. "Child, what is it you are called?"

Her lips trembled, and her eyes filled with tears. She clutched at the chest of the one who held her and cried, "S…S…. Samus…."

Smiling again, the Chozo gazed at the child. "Samus," he said gently. "You are safe now. You will come, with us." 

**Dither Bikky says:**

Lame ending I know. Writers block on that part, I have to admit. :(  Anyway, I'll have the real first chapter up soon. R/R. Thanks, and get back to readin'


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: Samus Aran and the Metroid are properties of **Nintendo @-2002,2003**

**The Three Bloods**

**Chapter 1:**

_Around her was a vast wasteland, spanning as far as the eye could see. The ground was blighted and brown, and the skies were thick with soot and ashes._

_"Where am I?" Samus whispered._

_She looked down to the ground, to the dirt and pebbles between her toes. Then she realized that her toes were bare, just as her feet…and the rest of her. _

_However, even while knowing this, she wouldn't cover herself up. She wouldn't allow the person who brought her to this place to see her filled with shame, or humiliated. Samus looked left and right, trying to find whoever else was here in this place with her. She couldn't find anyone, but she could sense it, as surely as if she were using the multitude of scanners in her Power Suit._

_She looked up into the sky in frustration and screamed, "SHOW YOURSELF!"_

_As if summoned, a figure appeared in front of her. He was tall and broad shouldered, and his back was slightly humped. He was completely robed in shiny silver metallic cloth. His head was covered with a high golden collar, and a wreath of feathers grew from the top of his head_

_"You are the Newborn," he said, his small bird-like eyes blazing._

_Samus shrugged. "Yeah, that's what they call me," she said nonchalantly. Then she grew serious and glared at the other. "Why have you brought me here, Master Chozo?" It was something Samus learned to call her feathered friends, since they had no names of their own. 'Chozo' was satisfactory to them._

_The Chozo raised his right arm, revealing a long and slender finger from beneath his robes. He then made five quick strokes in the air. Samus watched as the lines in the air suddenly flared into fire and burned into the air. She recognized the symbol. It was the same damned symbol she'd seen before on SR-388, Zebes, and on Tallon IV. It was a Chozo symbol, she knew that much, but she had no idea what it meant_

_She looked at it for a moment longer, and then she looked back to the Chozo. "What is it?" she asked._

_With red eyes burning into her, he pushed his hand towards the symbol that floated in mid-air. The symbol flared and rushed towards Samus. She tripped and fell back to the ground, and when the symbol loomed closer, Samus found herself unable to move._

_"Wh…what is this?" she choked out._

_The Chozo pushed the symbol further, it split into two, shrank in size and continued to slowly, torturously approach her. It burned directly in front of her eyes and hovered only a few inches away._

_The Chozo held his head high and looked down on her. "Three Bloods!"_

_He pushed the symbols ahead, and the burned straight into Samus's eyes. Her scream echoed across the ruined plains._

@

Samus jolted out of bed in an icy sweat. She stared unblinking to the end of her bedroom and panted heavily while clutching at her heart anxiously. She blinked her eyes deliberately and rubbed them with her hands, before swinging her legs off of the bed.

"Ugh," she groaned. It was always something; if it wasn't a hot temperatures or cold sweats, it was these nightmares. She squeezed her hands against her temple, rose and moved to a nearby mirror. An open window let in the cool night air and the light of the moon shone over the tidy penthouse apartment gracefully. Samus checked her eyes in the mirror in her bathroom, and then turned on the sink tap by placing her hands under its sensor and washed her face.

When she was done, she stared at herself in the mirror. Even though she was almost twenty-five years old, the face that stared back at her was one of a girl of sixteen. She laid a hand against her face and marvelled at the change. It began soon after she came back from her latest 'mission' involving the X-Parasites; she noticed that wrinkles began to shrink away, and her general look was changing, de-aging. 

Samus went to many scientists' friends that she trusted, and they all came to the same conclusion: the multitude of toxins, biological agents and DNA had resulted in a physiological change. At one time, she thought she was not going to stop 'de-aging' until she looked like a child, but thankfully it seemed to level out lately. She sighed and let the water drip from her smooth face and into the ivory sink. She always thought it'd be great, losing a few years; but the truth was that it just created more problems. Just try getting a drink in this colony with a face like that.

She brushed a hand through her short blonde hair that she recently cut so that it's length had gone to the nape of her neck. At this length, her hair naturally fell over the sides of her face and waved away at the ends. Samus cut her hair one night simply because she wanted to. She was up, one night, frustrated and angry and needing a change, so she just cut it. It was one example of how it wasn't just her physical appearance that had undergone a change. Samus had become listless and depressed. She found it sometimes impossible to sleep at night, what with her temperature skyrocketing and plummeting intermittently; along with nightmares and terrors that plagued her when she did sleep.

On Tallon IV she had been exposed to the highly mutagenic compound Phazon. Even though it eventually cleared her system, her friends among the scientific community believed it might have affected her body. Then just recently, she had been infected by the parasite 'X' and nearly killed. To save her life, they mixed her DNA with that of the X's natural enemy: the Metroid. Metroid! Of all things!

Now that, along with changes caused by the X parasite swam in her blood, doing who knew what kind of things to her. All this didn't even take into consideration that at the tender age of seven, she was infused with blood from the demigod like race known as Chozo.  

Samus chuckled scornfully. It could hardly be said that she was human anymore. It wasn't any wonder that her nights were stiff and restless. Drinking seemed to be the best release for her these few months, drinking and sleeping. Actually a drink sounded pretty good right then.

She headed towards the drawer by her bedside that hid a bottle of K20 scotch, and at that moment, a panel on her bedroom wall began to beep. It's tone signified that a call was incoming to her view pad. Samus absently slammed a console on the wall of the bathroom, and it promptly showed her the time: 306 hours. Who'd call at this time? It had to be one of only a few people; her home channel wasn't something she gave out freely.

Sitting once again on the edge of her bed, she tapped a button and watched a view screen rise from the drawer-desk. It immediately flashed, and then there was the image of a moustached gentleman in his 60's, wearing law-enforcement clothing.

"Oh…I'm sorry little one, this must be the wrong channel," the man said with a grin. "I was looking for someone named Samus Aran."

Samus laughed bitterly and leaned forward. "That is _so_ funny General. No, don't say anything, I haven't finished _holding my sides: _ it's just so damn hilarious."

General Adam chuckled and his grin widened. "I thought you'd like that. I still haven't gotten over how much you've changed."

"Neither have I, General," she said, smiling wearily.

Adams harrumphed and glanced down on his end. "Don't you think you should put something on before we continue, Lady?"  

Samus looked down at herself. She was dressed only in panties and a slip of a top. What did he expect; it was three in the mourning, and she was warm. She leaned forward again to the view screen. "You're not serious General. You're the one who called me."

"That I did, Lady," he said while scratch the back of his head. "And trust me, I wouldn't have called if it wasn't important. I know how you like your privacy, especially lately. You know…it's not healthy, being by yourself like that, Lady."

Samus stared absently into the view screen, Adams words settling in. Maybe it was true…but it didn't feel like something she could change right now.

"Anyway, Lady, I've been intercepting messages for you as per your request. Smart idea too, you wouldn't believe the number of people requesting your 'expertise' on missions. However, I think this you'd be interested in this one. I haven't seen it yet, but you might know about the sender." He pressed a few buttons on his end and another button began to flash near Samus's console. "I've got the duel-encryption working on my end. You?"

Samus pressed the flashing button and another console flipped up from the desk. "I'm ready, General."

The transmission took only a few minutes to completely transfer to Samus' console, and when it was done, the General smiled and nodded. 

"Well then, I'll leave you to it." He leaned back on his chair and gave her a quick wink. "Whatever it might say, don't do anything reckless. I'd hate to lose you, Lady."

"Thanks, General," the bounty hunter said before ending communications. She didn't know what he meant by not doing anything reckless, though. Just who sent this transmission? 

There was only one way to find out.

She reached underneath the drawer, pulled out her bottle of liqor and turned on the file. The view screen flashed again, a figure appeared, and Samus's mouth opened in shock. He was tall and robed in metallic cloth. A high golden collar obscured his face. Feathers grew out of his head, and his eyes blazed with a red fire. The sender on the file read only as 'Chozo'.

"I am communicating in hopes of reaching the one known as the Hatchling," the figure said, before his expression became joyous. "How are you, Newborn? It has been a while since you've left the flock, but the deeds of your heroism have reached even our far off years. No doubt, you must be weary."

Samus was holding a hand over her mouth as she watched silently, and she nodded. This was just a complete shock. The Chozo Masters haven't directly contacted her since she left their care so many years ago. This was completely unprecedented.

The figure continued. "We believe that the time for your reward is at hand. Though you already hold the secret hidden within our blood, as well as the power of our Varia technology, we feel that you are owed even more. After all, you _are_ the Hatchling. You've brought retribution to those who've soiled our lands, and you've brought a reckoning to our enemies." The Chozo folded his arms inside his robes and nodded solemnly. "Your hard work must be compensated."

The Chozo then leaned forward and his eyes flashed happily. "The ones who bore you on the place called K-2L, the Mother and the Father, they wish to see you again, and I'm sure you do as well, is it not so?"

"_M-mama?_" Samus breathed.

"It is within our ability to do so. You trust in our power, do you not? We have never let you down before. Though it can only last a few minutes, we can deliver your spirit unto another plane of existence, where you can finally meet and talk to your parents. Just enough to know that they still live on, and they still think of you. This is the most we can do."

The bounty hunter shook her head slowly, disbelieving what she was being told, but silently hoping it was true.

"I wish to meet you, but I cannot sustain my corporeal form in this place for much longer. Rendezvous with me at these co-ordinates in this time period, and I will come to you. Then I promise you, Hatchling, you will see your parents. You will get your…what is it your people say… _just rewards_."

The information was downloaded into Samus's computer, and then the transmission cut off as suddenly as it began. In the dead of the night, Samus stared into the blank screen. She put the bottle down and held her head in her hands, and her eyes squeezed shut. Her parents? She couldn't even really remember what they looked like.

The Chozo had never let her down before. The Chozo had saved her life! They gave her the Power Suit. So why was she so hesitant, so wary of this whole situation? It could just be a case of 'being too good to be true'.

But what kind of daughter would she be if she didn't at least try?

Samus rose to her feet, slipped off her white top and headed for the showers. She made her decision quickly, as she usually did, and her decision was to leave immediately.

@

When Samus reached her personal hanger a half-hour later, she saw her Hunter-ship and activated Main Power. The ship was sleek and spotless. Despite the fact that she had been out of action for the last few months, she still paid good money to have it cleaned and maintained.

Samus looked up at the ship, took in a deep breath and then looked at the palm of her right hand. She focused on the small round implant in the center of her palm and activated the power of the Varia technology.

Lines of circuitry raced up and down her body, and a strange light coalesced and crackled around her thin form. From the light materialized body armour, large shoulder pads, a large sleek visor and an arm cannon. When it was over, Samus slumped her shoulders and breathed evenly, letting the armour's life-support systems integrated with her body as steam rose from her form. 

After entering her craft, she took a seat, placed her left hand on the main console and accessed her computer.

"_Good morning, Samus. Where would you like to go today?"_

Samus smiled inside of her visor. "Why do you always ask me that? You sound like some goofy television ad?"

"_I do not understand_."

"Never mind," Samus smirked as the Hunter craft lifted off from the hanger and into the stratosphere. "I'm inputting headings into the navigator."

"_New headings confirmed. Co-ordinates lead to the small planetoid Gawrs 20. Estimated Time of Arrival at double light speed: One point four hours._"

"Sounds good." Samus leaned back and allowed the computer to work the ship into light speed. She felt the familiar tug that came with surpassing the light barrier, and then watched the stars streaked by the view screen. 

"_Samus, why are you headed for Gawrs 20?"_

Samus blinked and looked around nervously. "There's someone I have to meet there. I've received a summons to go, so I'm going."

"_Is there a bounty involved?"_

Samus laughed and looked around again. It was hard talking to an A.I. like a person that was actually there. "It's not always about money, you know."

The computer seemed to hesitate, before saying. "_I understand. This is a personal matter_."

"Not really…" Samus said uncomfortably. "It's just…wouldn't you like to meet your parents…er…programmers?"

"_No_," the computer said coldly. "_I have no desire to interact with my programmers_."

Samus sighed and sank into her seat. It was hard talking to an A.I.

"_However, I believe I understand. I have…missed…your company, Samus_."

This made Samus smile. Maybe it wasn't so hard after-all. "I've missed you too, Adam."

"_Warning_," the computer suddenly announced. "_Long distance scans detect the presence of another Bounty Hunter, Class A: Registration number HA0239. Name confirmed_-"

The computer didn't have to continue. Samus knew that number by heart. It belonged to Houston Armstrong. She gritted her teeth in rage. "_What the hell was he doing there_?" she thought angrily. "Computer, who else is on that planet?"

"_One other life sign has been detected. Unidentified. Closer proximity is required_."

Samus gritted her teeth, checked the power of her weapons and looked ahead. If closer proximity was what the computer needed, closer proximity was what it was going to get. She had no idea what Armstrong was doing on a planet that was the site of a meeting between her and a Chozo Master, but she had a feeling it was no coincidence. If he's not careful, he might end up killed.

"Here we go…" she whispered, as the Hunter craft sped its way towards the fated planet.

@

**Dither Bikky Says**:

Okay, another lame ending. Sorry I just can't seem to end my chapters right. Anyway, I know this was a boring chapter, but I needed it to give you Samus's state of mind, as well as a description of what she looks like outside the suit. Think cute folks. Anyway, please R&R.

And if you're a Zelda fan, read my other story: **Legend of a Wind Waker**

Thanks, and get back to Readin'!


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: Samus Aran and the Metroid are properties of **Nintendo @-2002,2003**

**The Three Bloods**

**Chapter 2:**

"_Sensors show Bounty Hunter Houston Armstrong at 500 meters and closing._"

As Samus lowered her Hunter-craft to an easy landing on the 20th planet in the Gwar system, she checked the sensor sweep the computer just instigated. It was exactly as her computer said it: Houston Armstrong was on the planet surface. Here, on the same planet where she was supposed to meet a Chozo Master. 

She couldn't fathom it being a coincidence. Houston was a halfway decent guy. He was tall, good looking, pretty rugged, and he was an excellent bounty hunter. He was also the only person in the galaxy with an imitation Chozo Power Suit…and he had a huge chip on his shoulder when it came to Samus. 

They've competed many times in the past over bounties, and in the past they've actually done battle…though Samus never took it anything personal. However, in the twenty-nine different skirmishes…both big and small…Samus had been victorious in every one.

Samus just didn't feel like winning another battle this time. She exited her Hunter-craft, put it cloaked-running mode, and took a scan of the atmosphere. According to Adam it was a slightly toxic world that wouldn't sustain human life for too long. Even so, within her Power Suit she could survive in the most toxic condition.

Entering a few quick commands into her gun-arm, Samus watched as the missile-loader opened with a small sphere, and then fired it off into the distance.

"_Decoy launched._ _Imitation of the life signs of Samus Aran complete. Initiating dampening field._"

Samus felt a slight shift in gravity, and then looked at her radar again. With a smile, she watched as the little blip that represented Armstrong paused, and then started pacing back and forth in confusion.

"That's right Houston," Samus whispered to herself, "Chase the bouncing ball." Armstrong wouldn't be any concern now. He'd be chasing the fake signals of the decoy. This meant she had all the time she could take to meet with the Chozo Master, and then, if she thought jokingly, beat Armstrong up.

@

Eventually, Samus reached a hollowed-out cavern, several of kilometres below the surface. It was rather unremarkable, a few thin streams of lava wired up and down the walls, and steam leaked from cracks in the ground. Samus checked with her computer again.

"_Destination co-ordinates within one hundred meters. Samus, you have reached your destination._"

Samus huffed angrily. Yes, this was the destination…but where was the Chozo? "Adam, please scan for life-forms."

"_Scanning. Two life forms confirmed: Bounty Hunter Houston Armstrong, second life form undetermined. Location unknown._"

A horrible feeling suddenly came over her. Where was the Chozo? If he's the second life form, why couldn't Adam locate him? She looked down to the steaming ground and closed her eyes with gloom. Maybe she had been acting like an idiot. Maybe she wouldn't find anything here…any vision or divine meeting with her lost parents. She didn't understand why the Chozo would be teasing her like this.

"I say, how you been luv?"

Samus whirled on the voice and found herself face to face with a nearly identical version of the Power Suit. It was blue in color, and the chest and shoulders were slightly larger, but it was unmistakably fashioned after Varia technology. Samus knew who this was; and she started to seethe in rage.

"Computer, explain," she choked through grated teeth.

"_Close-range scans of Houston Armstrong confirmed. His A.I. is using a dampening field similar to your own. Scanning. Confirmed. The Houston Armstrong you've been tracking has been a decoy._"

"_Shit_," Samus cursed.

"Is your computer telling you how I made a fool out of you, sweet-cheeks?" Armstrong said with a gregarious laugh. "When your life sign suddenly became two, and then one again, I knew I was dealing with another one of your tricks, so I countered with one of my own." He waved a finger in the air tellingly. "I won't get nailed by the same move twice you know."

Samus shrugged and stepped by him without looking over. "Don't act like you've won anything, Armstrong, because you haven't."

Houston began to follow her, his arms waving for attention. "Oh come on! You won't make anything easy! I mean, bloody hell; I haven't seen you in months…and this is how you greet me? With a trick and a snub?" He sighed and slumped at the shoulders. "That hurts. You're a real nasty woman, you know."

"I'm glad you've learned something," Samus retorted, moving ahead towards her exact destination. "Now tell me what the hell you're up to."

Shrugging, Houston gestured towards the cavern walls. "I'm on a job. I'm ….um…supposed to retrieve a special object."

"Oh for God's…" Samus groaned and clenched her fist. "Beat it Armstrong. I'm on an important mission."

"Well so am I," Armstrong whined in that British inflection of his. "My boss is quite serious on this Samus. I believe you of all people should appreciate that."

"I don't think you get it, Armstrong," Samus grated.

"Oh I believe I do"

"_Warning._"

Samus turned to see Houston's arm-cannon aimed directly at her, and then she stayed perfectly still.

"Sorry luv," Houston said with a tilt of his head. Energy coalesced to a large sphere at the end of his gun-arm, and he finished by saying "Nothing personal."

Then, Houston fired.

**Dither Bikky says:**

I'm sorry, but I've been busy so I did this short chapter instead. It's really short…sorry. Anyway, for people who want to know how I get bold to work…I'm using Word 2000. Sometimes getting the font to work is a real hassle, and I'm currently looking for a better program to write my fan fictions in. For instance, I can't get centre to work AT ALL.

Also, I realize I've made several mistakes concerning Adam Malkovich and Adam Samus's computer. I'll keep going like I have, but I want you to know I realize my errors. 

Anyhoo, thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: Samus Aran and Metroid are properties of **Nintendo**

**The Three Bloods**

**Chapter 3**

Houston fired from nearly point-blank range. Samus had no time to duck or cover, no time to fire back. So she did the only thing she could. With her free hand balled into a fist, she reached back and slammed a fierce backhand into the ball of energy. 

There was a sharp crack as the energy crackled and veered off into the side of the cavern, blasting a crater into the fissure wall and causing a few hanging stalactites to fall to the floor.

"_Warning.__ Moderate damage to left hand. Right hand shielding at 42%."_

"You're dead," Samus hissed, ignoring Adam's caveat. 

Houston raised both his smoking gun-arm and his free hand into the air in a placating manner. "Oi, oi!" he sputtered suddenly. "Don't take it so personally, luv. It's just business."

Electricity was still crackling on Samus's left hand and she waved at it dismissively. "You want personal?" she growled, and with a blast from her boots she rocketed into the air. As Houston watched with a stunned expression she pivoted her body in mid-air until she was directly over the other bounty hunter, toes up. Samus flexed her right hand and fired a series of concussive energy bolts straight down on Houston. Debris from the explosions ripped up from the ground as Houston raised his hands and moved his feet to protect himself. Just as the last bullet pierced the floor, Samus landed behind him and aimed her cannon.

"The ol' '_flash and dash'_, eh Samus?" Houston chortled, and with a speed that surprised even Samus, he turned and knocked her gun away just as she fired. The blast pummeled the wall and created another flash-crater in the side of the cavern. Houston Armstrong chuckled again. "Same old Samus," he said as he raised his gun, "Ever heard of 'once bitten, twice shy?'"

Samus knocked away his arm with a loud clank, and as she did Houston's free hand connected with a hard crush to the chest that sent her flying. She spun around head over heels in midair as she skid back, and when she righted herself Houston was right in front of her, and he nailed her with a second powered-up punch that sent her crashing straight through the cavern wall. 

"_Energy down to 95%"_

With barely the time to recover from that assault Houston was on her again, blistering round after round of ammo towards her. Samus pirouetted to deflect the shots and boosted her jets away from Armstrong and to another position. She looked around and saw that she was in another cavern similar to the last one. According to Adam these caverns stretched for miles underground.

"You shouldn't be studying your environment when you're in a battle with such a tough enemy, my dear." Houston's voice drawled as he leveled his way down to the floor to face Samus evenly. "I wouldn't want to hurt you too badly. You see my employer simply asked to see you unconscious, not dearly departed."

Shaking her head in annoyance, Samus muttered loud enough for him to hear, "You see Armstrong, that's why you're possibly the dumbest shit alive."

Houston laughed. He had been used to her friendly and sometimes non-friendly jabbing at his character. He shrugged his shoulders. "Oh really, and why is that?"

Samus raised her left hand in the air and explained by lifting one finger. "One, you must _always_ be aware of your environment, no matter who you're fighting or how bad the fight is going. Two," She lifted a second finger, "You're overestimating yourself when the fight is just starting." 

Then she let her hand fall to her side and placed it on her hip. "And three…possibly the most asinine thing you've ever done in your whole sad life…you took a job with _me as the target. I would have told them to keep the money…or gamble it. It probably would have been safer that way." She smiled at him, seemingly losing all of the rage she had just a moment ago. "If I were your mother, I'd slap you silly."_

"As much as I might enjoy that," Houston started as he flared his back jets. The air underneath them rippled and distorted as the heat rose to high levels and the jets gained in energy. "I think you might be the one who's overestimate one's self!" And with that he blasted forward with tremendous momentum.

Samus didn't move an inch. She simply watched as Houston came forward, gaining more and more speed. She watched as Houston brought his free hand back to crush her with a powerful high-speed strike. Instead, just as Houston reached her, she expertly stepped to the side, twirled and crushed Houston on the back of his helmet with the back of her cannon. 

Houston went straight into the ground with an impact that crushed the floor, and bounced straight back up. When he did Samus was there to knock him flying with a precision strike with her left hand.

While in the air Houston struggled to regain control, Samus turned her back to him, powered on both her back and her boot thrusters and blasted into the air with a mighty back flip. She caught Houston in midair, aimed for the floor and turned on her jets.

"You know I've always wanted to say this," Samus whispered.

"Don't say it!"

With Armstrong in tow, the Hunter plummeted downward and straight through the cavern floor in a massive body slam, the shock of which caused tremors throughout the entire series of tunnels. On the new lower level of the planet, Samus released the other bounty hunter and watched as he fell to the new floor with a booming crash. Samus smiled and gave him a wink.

"Houston, you have a problem."

Samus thought the pun was well said, but apparently it was mistimed. Houston was a lot tougher than she thought. As he fell he had rained a barrage of missiles and energy bolts at the Bounty queen. Samus's jets weren't meant for flying, and as she made her descent she fired back at the enemy projectiles with her own. She fired twelve shots each in rapid succession to totally nullify Houston's attack, and when she landed she activated her diffusion missile launcher on her gun-arm and fired two rounds towards the enemy hunter.

Houston tried to move but was too late. The missiles hit him dead on and the resulting ice explosion pinned him to the wall. He wasn't finished yet. 

"**Activate Porous Radiance!" he shouted. His suit began to hit up and emit fine lasers from different points all along his body. With one blast he shattered the ice that had held him fast and he stumbled forward. When he looked up again, he saw Samus's gun arm glowing incandescently with accumulated power.**

Samus let out a short laugh. "_This_ is when I should have said it."

"Wai-!"

Before he could finish the word, he was blasted to kingdom come by Samus's powered up shot. His body spun through the air, ricocheted off a nearby cavern wall, crashed and settled on the cavern floor. He wasn't moving.

Just a little concerned, Samus took a step forward and inquired Adam. "I didn't kill him, did I?"

"_Negative. Life Sign readings confirm that he has lost consciousness. Armstrong life-support systems remain functional."_

"Outstanding."

Samus whirled behind her to the source of the new voice. Standing now in front of her, almost ten feet tall was the same creature that had contacted her before, the one that she had been searching for on this planet. There in the flesh and blood, was a Chozo Master.

"_Warning.__ Proximity Alarm malfunction. Detecting the presence of an unknown life form"_

"It's you," Samus breathed. The Chozo looked just as he did as the one on the screen, and the one in her dream. Tall, with a wreath of feathers that jutted from his face. His metallic cloak shimmered with an eerie golden light, his beak and face were partly obscured by his tall golden collar, and his small eyes burned with fire. He didn't look too friendly…not like he did in the recording and not anything like the Chozo she remembered from childhood. But then the Chozo warriors back then always looked grumpy. He looked like he may have been one of them.

Samus looked at him sidelong, and then she smiled uneasily. "I didn't think you were going to show."

"When a Chozo tells you he will appear, then he will appear." He said with a rumbling voice.

"_Wait a minute," Samus thought suddenly. "'Outstanding__'? What did he mean by that? Was he watching us?" _

"I have come here, Hatchling, as I said I would. I have come to give you your reward."

Samus suddenly stepped back, instinct kicking in. "Wait a minut-"

Before she could finish the Chozo opened his beak wide and released a piercing squawk. That the sound was deafening and painful was one thing, but this was different than just noise. Samus fell to her knees, her legs and arms suddenly freezing up. Her vision began to distort and fizzle out in her visor. It was becoming harder and harder to breath as her life support systems began to fluctuate. 

Like a rusty suit of armor, Samus tipped over and fell to her face, completely immobilized. She could hear Adam talking to her:

"_S—S-Sy-s—SyS-System—De—Deed-De-dd-Desta-Destabiliz---Sysytem Destabilized-ized-ized.__ A—Audi---o---AudioChronistic----nistic---Viru-Virus— "_

"…compensate…" Samus whispered, struggling to breathe within her Power Suit, realizing that it may now become her coffin.

The Chozo stepped towards her and looked down on her like a hawk on a field mouse. "This is your reward, for all of your endeavors on the behalf of my people, Hatchling," the Chozo said callously. "Your reward is death."

@

**Dither Bikky says**: 

Sorry for another short chapter. I'm so busy with other stuff that I think all I can churn out is small chapters for now. Anyway, you think our gal pal is gonna take this sitting down? No chance!  It's **Samus Vs. The Chozo Master, **with the biggest of all prizes up for grabs! Booooooyah!


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: Samus Aran and Metroid are properties of **Nintendo**

**The Three Bloods**

**Chapter 4**

"I am sure that you are cursing your fate, are you not?"

_"C—ccc-c-c----ompensa---compensating---"_

"Gnashing your teeth. Agonizing, wondering how this came to be."

_"C---cc-c----compensatin---sating---"_

"Know that this is not something I relish, nor is this event a joyful one." The Chozo sighed and turned away. "It is one that must be. It is necessary."

Samus struggled against the weight of her iron cage that was formally her Power Suit. "W-why?" she managed.

The Chozo was silent for a moment, and then he faced her directly. "You are the Newborn. You deserve to know."  He paced around her as he spoke, his words careful and deliberate. "For many of my people you are the Hunter, the Slayer of their Enemies. It is The Hatchling that brings swift and vengeful retribution for those who have wronged us." He stopped and glanced at her with a fiery pupil. "It is The Hatchling that keeps us rooted in our stagnant past."

_"C---c---------compensa----compensating-----"_

"On Talon IV you saw the ghosts of some of my compatriots. Mighty warriors all… however in some ways not much unlike the living. They exist and clamour for vengeance to be done on their behalf. They cannot see for the future ahead of them. They see you as their Champion."

_"C----compensating---vi---virus purge commencing---cing---"_

"Nonetheless, there is another: A true Hatchling. A Three Bloods worthy of the prophecy…"

Samus let out a forced breath and gritted her teeth. "I don't understand…." She groaned.

"Your bloods are those of the Chozo, Human and Metroid. However other compounds swim within your veins that corrupt your destiny. There is another, one without the curse of your fetid human Blood. This Hatchling will lead us to our true providence." He turned away from her, brought up a large hand from beneath his and flexed it into a fist. "No longer will the Chozo be a phantom race hiding in the shadows. With the true Hatchling, and me leading them, we will come into the light…and we will set this Universe ablaze. However to accomplish this…"

_"Virus Purge complete. Systems at 100%"_

"…you must relinquish what we've given you."

He turned, only to have the muzzle of Samus's gun arm straight in his face.

"Over my dead body," Samus whispered, and with that she fired. 

There was a massive explosion that pushed Samus back and rained bits of flaming plasma and energy into the air, as well as a massive dark debris cloud. The Chozo's body was completely obscured by the cloud, and Samus couldn't penetrate it with her visor. 

She stood back, breathing heavily and cursing under her breath. It was all a trick, of course it was. That she was led here to be killed wasn't surprising. That it was a trap laid by a Chozo Master was something more than what she could take. There was nothing in this Universe she could trust anymore. Samus took in shuddering breaths and squeezed her eyes shut. All she wanted was to believe that she could see them again. After everything she had done, everything she had endured, all she wanted to know was that they were proud of her. Even this….

"_Warning_!"

Heeding Adam, Samus turned to face the Chozo Master. The cloak he had been wearing was parted to the sides, and she could clearly see that he had not come unprepared. He was armoured neck to toe in a Varia Power Suit. His was coloured black and silver, and it was much larger and bulkier than Samus's own, however it also gave off a sense of grace that was equal to hers. He raised his gun-arm and levelled it straight at the bounty hunter.

"It shall be as you said it," the Chozo said serenely, and he fired off a quick blast. Samus dodged to the side, handsaulted and vaulted into the air while she opened up her gun-arm and fired off a barrage of energy shots. The floor exploded into clouds of debris and shards of hot metal around the Chozo, but as Samus corrected her decent a voice sounded from behind her.

"The Hatchling, against a full grown Raptor?"

Before Samus could even turn to face him, she was knocked away by a backhand so powerful it sent her zooming through the air.

_"Proximity Alarm! Approaching Cavern Wall. Correct Speed Vector-"_

She couldn't, and she was bashed into the wall with a resonating crush and exploded through to the other side. Her vision fizzled and her energy systems fluctuated. Samus was still flying as the Chozo Master appeared above her. She didn't hesitate; she raised her cannon and fired another concussion of shots into the Chozo's armour, shots so powerful and high in number that it forced Samus to the ground at the same time. 

When she landed Samus began to charge up a shot, but she didn't fire. The Chozo was gone.

"The Hatchling begs the Raptor for sustenance."

Samus knew he was behind her, but she didn't fire her Power Beam. Instead she turned and struck with her left hand, which he predictably caught in his.

"The Hatchling does not bite at the Raptors beak."

Samus gripped the Chozo's arm and held him fast, and as she did she brought up her cannon to his face. "Bite this."

She fired. There was a large blast and explosion of debris and fire. Samus released the Chozo's grip and jumped back a hundred feet, and when she landed she put two fingers to her visor and scanned the debris cloud.

"Tell me I got him…" she said to no one in particular.

_"Confirmed. Direct hit on the Target."_

A beam of ice erupted from the cloud and screamed towards Samus's form. She saw it and dodged to the side, and as it passed she felt her body decelerating, her brain slowing down. It was her new Metroid physiology affecting her again. Samus cursed as she hit the ground just as the Chozo Master appeared in front of her. His arms were crossed, and his cloak was flared in an eerie semblance to large metallic golden wings.

"To a Raptor, the Hatchling is playing a game."

Samus jumped to her feet, powered up her thrusters and leaped into the air. She flexed her hand into the position for the Plasma-thrower. She arced her arm and fired a stream of burning lava towards the Chozo figure, who simply floated and stared.

"The Hatchling plays a dangerous game."

Just as the plasma reached him, he burst into an area meters away from the attack. Samus turned her cannon into the Ice Beam and fired off concussive shots of absolute-zero bullets at the Chozo, but he used his amazing speed to dodge over and over again. Then the Chozo appeared behind her and raised his gun-arm, and Samus fired off the Wavebuster she had been charging all the while. 

While the arc of electricity hit the Chozo dead on, Samus morphed into her Spider-Ball and sped into the natural circuits in the cavern's wall facing, leaving a trail of bombs in her wake.  They exploded in a chain and nailed the Chozo again as he was recovering from her initial attack.

 This was the only opportunity she'd have to attack. Samus bounced off the wall, demorphed and readied her charged Combo beam at the Chozo, only to be stunned when he flew at her in a morph ball of his own. Samus was hit dead center and blasted towards a cavern fissure. She ricocheted off of it and straight into the Chozo's waiting cannon muzzle. He fired with a deafening explosion.

_"W-W--Warning! Energ-gy-y at 35%"_

Like a rag doll, Samus fell to the cavern floor and bounced slightly when she landed. Her vision was shorting out again, and she struggled to rise. The ground shook for a moment as the Chozo landed in front of her. Samus squinted and gasped in pain. "I'm not….going down like this…"

She raised her cannon only to have it slammed down into the ground by the Chozo's armoured foot. He raised his free hand towards her and narrowed his burning eyes.

"There is nothing you have that we haven't given you."

Energy raced from his palm and through Samus's body. She withheld a scream even as the pain of it burned through her nerves and burned through her bones.

"There is nothing you have that we cannot take away."

The Power Suit's nervous system was disassociating itself from Samus's own. The separation was excruciating, and Samus was forced to her knees as the process continued.

_"Warning! Energy at 1% and holding."_

Samus couldn't move; she couldn't fight back. All she could do was agonize as her armour was ripped from her body. When it was done, she would be at the mercy of the toxic environment. She wouldn't last more than five minutes.

"_This isn't fair!"_ she lamented silently. "_I can't go down like this!"_

 Forcing an eye open, she saw in the far distance Houston Armstrong struggling to reach her. Samus never would have thought it, but maybe she could call on him to help her. Maybe…

_"Initiating ADAM Core Consciousness Download."_

Her heart skipped a beat as Adam announced those words. He was leaving her? At a time like this? As the last vestiges of her Power Suit left her, she supposed it was to be expected. Within the entire Universe…Survival of the Fittest was all that mattered.

_"Download Complete."_

There was nothing that she could trust.

The Power Suit left her with a sickening snap. Samus dressed now in her black jumpsuit, recoiled with the force, and then fell face first into the cavern wall. Her muscles wouldn't move, and she felt her lungs began to close in on her.

_"Initiating Download."_

What was that? 

Samus blinked as she watched Houston walk up to the Chozo timidly and look over Samus's prone body.

"That's Samus? She looks younger than the last time I saw her," Houston murmured. "Still cute though." 

The Chozo closed his cloak over his body and handed over a glowing sphere of energy to the other bounty hunter, who looked at it tentatively. 

"Take it," the Chozo ordered. "Your prize."

Samus's eye widened in rage. "_What?_"

Houston reached for the sphere and took it in his hand, and as soon as he did it he was taken and enveloped in white energy. Samus's vision began to fade, but she could see that Houston was changing. His armour was becoming, sharper, more prominent. She knew he was wearing her Power Suit now.

There was the slight sizzle of smoke rising from metal, and Houston breathed in reverence. He raised his new gun-arm and studied it. "Incredible," he gasped.

Samus let out a slow breath as her perception began to leave her. The Chozo turned to her and slumped his shoulders. "It is done."

"Do you think you should just leave her here?"

The Chozo waved his arm around the cavern. "Why do you think I chose this place, this perfect, uninhabited world? It is only the Hatchling that deserves to have an entire planet for her tomb."  He floated into the air and left towards the surface. "It is the least she deserves."

Armstrong and the Chozo were both gone. Samus was alone, and she didn't even have the strength to cry out like she wanted to. All she could do was wait as her lungs got heavier and heavier, and watch as the darkness closed in. 

Samus gasped softly and let out final breath before her consciousness left her.

_"Download Complete."_

@

**Dither Bikky says**:

Shocking! Samus lost. Is she finished? Not if ADAM has anything to do with it! Later. 


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: Samus Aran and Metroid are properties of Nintendo

**The Three Bloods**

**Chapter 5:**

As he walked toward his ship, Houston couldn't help but wonder what to feel. On the one hand he had new and very powerful armour that would make his bounty-hunting expeditions a great deal easier, and it was stylish! On the other hand…he left Samus back on that molten rock to die. He had just stood there and watched as that overgrown chicken pecked her into submission and seized the Power Suit from her. It had been an amazing display of force and technique that left Houston very uneasy. Could this needling feeling in the back of his neck be guilt?

"Board the ship, primate."

Houston winced inwardly, but didn't risk a retort. This Power Suit may have been impressive, but Houston now knew what that Chozo was capable of, and he wasn't about to risk a fight. He stepped up the gangplank to his ship, followed closely by the Chozo, and took a seat next to the starboard controls. The Chozo took the controls at the bow.

"Prepare the engines for flight," the Chozo said. Then suddenly, he grimaced and pressed his fingers together at the bridge of his beak. While Houston set the engines he discreetly used his visor to take a reading on the alien. The Chozo's life signs and power readings seemed to be normal. If in fact it were a sign of weakness, perhaps he wouldn't be under the thumb of this being for long after-all.

"Everything alright, mate?" Houston asked casually.

"I have spent too much energy in this form," the Chozo began. "I must admit, the Hatchling put up more of a resistance than I expected. She was aggressive, even for her. I will rest once we've reached light speed." Houston eyed him warily. The Chozo's metallic cape was again draped over his shoulders, and he stared ahead with his small burning eyes. He slumped slightly before saying, "Do not speak to me again," and closing his eyes.

The familiar high-pitched whir of the engines sounded through Houston's audio sensors, and as the ship took off into space Houston could only ponder on the fate Samus had earned. Maybe she deserved it, with her arrogance and her constant string of victories; a reputation that brought the most and highest paying jobs at every moment. Maybe she was destined to attract an enemy she had no hope of defeating, to die alone on some dead out-of-the-way planet without a boo from anyone.

Still, seeing here there without her armour, slight and small…it didn't seem right for her to die like that. When Samus died, it should be something grand. Maybe being swallowed by a space dragon or some bit.

Houston sighed. It was out of his hands now. With a thought, he looked at his left hand, now clothed in Samus' armour. He wondered if he now had access to some of Samus' toys through her Power Suit as well.

Hmm…

They were now at a safe orbit, and Houston worked the control panel deftly to get them to light speed. He would have informed his client, but with the warning to maintain silence, Houston wasn't about to risk it.

With one last look at Gawrs 20, Houston clicked a few controls on his left hand, then punched the engines into light-speed. In the blink of an eye, they were gone.

* * *

_Initializing Systems_.

_Systems initialized_.

_Initiating Upload._

.

.

.

_Upload Complete_.

* * *

Samus' world was nothing but flashes of light, random sounds and aching pain. It was a challenge for her to muster the strength to open her eyes, but she did. She was as weak as a kitten, thirsty, hungry and everything hurt. But she was alive. She was alive!

Her vision cleared, and Samus saw that she was looking up at a tiled ceiling. A lamp hung in the corner of her sight, and she watched it swing slightly before focusing on the strips above. They where of an old that weren't used in the most modern buildings, though she had seen some like it in her lifetime; usually in hospitals.

Was that where she was? A hospital? In which system was it, and on what planet? Wait…all these questions, and she didn't even know how it could be that she was alive. She needed answers. Damn…she needed water.

"Oh my gosh, you're awake!"

Samus managed to turn her head a half-an-inch toward the voice. It was a woman, maybe in her thirties, and she was wearing white. A nurse; definitely a hospital then. Samus opened her mouth and tried to speak, but her throat felt like it would split open at any moment. Thankfully the nurse seemed to understand. She placed a gentle hand over Samus' brow and shushed her quietly. 

"Easy now," she whispered. "I'll go and get you some water, so just rest easy." She left and returned quickly with water she had to feed manually to Samus' form. As she did the bounty hunter felt some strength returning…more than should be after a few cups of water, no matter how cool and refreshing. She chuckled in thought; it must've been because of her alien blood. 

Samus still found it very difficult to move, but she could at least turn and speak to the other woman. "Where am I?" she asked as she lifted her hand to push away a cup of water, if only for a moment.

The woman smiled, as if she had expected the question. "You're in an Medical Centre in Moltengne province." 

"What planet? Which system?"

"Hmm, this is Potip. Not sure about the system, but I know we call our galaxy the "Shining Voyage". I guess by the way they say you arrived you're from quite a ways, aren't you?"

_"Shining Voyage_?" Samus thought. "_That was at least forty thousand light-years from the Gawrs system_."

_Seventy thousand five hundred and thirty two_. 

Samus winced painfully. What was that? She saw that the nurse was still looking at her. "How did I get here?" Samus whispered hoarsely.

"Apparently you crash-landed here. Thank goodness that ship of yours was so sturdy, but even so you where in such terrible shape it's a miracle you survived at all."

"_Miracle my ass." _Samus thought_, " I'm just too lucky._" 

Samus tied to rise, but the weakness in her arms brought her down to the bed again. The nurse placed her hand on Samus' shoulders soothingly. "I said easy, please. Just try to relax. I have some patients to look after but I'll be back soon with a meal for you. I think you should be up to it, you think?"

Nodding her agreement, Samus pushed herself up her pillow while the nurse went off to do her rounds. "_A nice woman_," she thought with a grunt. "_I never got her name. Well I suppose there'll be time for that later._" Sighing, she fell back onto her pillow and stared up at the ceiling. "_I have to found out how I got here, and why I'm still alive…unless this is all some dream or something._" 

"_You are not dreaming_."

Samus blinked and tried to rise, but a shot of pain down her midsection prevented that. What was that voice? It sounded like…she was thinking it. She winced and held her hand against her head. She wasn't losing it now, was she?

"_Negative. This is not a figment of your imagination_."

Her head shot up and she glanced around alertly. "Adam?" she whispered.

_"Yes, Samus?"_

Exhaling a laugh, Samus held her hand to her chest and looked around again. "Wh-What are you – where are you – Adam, explain!"

_"Where would you like me to begin, Samus?"_

Samus held her head again. It was so strange, having another voice in her head like this. It wasn't like how she normally heard Adam: between her ears in full stereo. This was…this was frightening. "How is it you can talk to me?" she said in a quiet voice.

"_I have established a temporary cortical interface between the Varia nodule and your cerebral cortex. It allows me to communicate with you for brief periods of time_."

Cortical Interface? Samus looked at her right hand, where the nodule that usually contained her digitized Power Suit rested inside the flesh. "How- no, when did you do this?"

"_After your defeat at Gawrs 20."_

Samus was starting to get frustrated. If Adam was really in her head, he should have known what she wanted to hear about. Apparently, Adam realized this as well.

"_I downloaded the totality of my program into the Varia Nodule before your Power Suit was lost. After integrating my systems, I proceeded to download your higher brain functions into the Nodule as well. The Varia Nodule possesses data storage capabilities of one hundred of the most powerful X series Super Computers used in Command Science Headquarters, more than enough to contain your consciousness. I theorized that at the least, your body would have been put into a state of suspended animation and the damage done by the toxic environment would be slowed. At the most, there would be an over 80% chance to recover your consciousness into the body of an android if your body was to be destroyed in the Gawrs system_."

Samus breathed in wonderment. Did Adam really go to that length to ensure that she survived? Or was it looking to preserve itself? Samus didn't know what to think, and that moment she realized that Adam could, well… _hear_ …all of these thoughts. She gulped. "I'm sorry. I'm a little confused after…I'm sorry." She sighed. "You rescued me, I shouldn't be second-guessing your motives."

"_Samus, I have no motives. I would have survived whether you died or not. As well, I did not rescue you. My efforts would have been in vain where you not able to escape Gawrs 20_."

Samus pouted; he didn't have to put it quite like that. Still he had a point. "How did I get here?" she mumbled.

"_A matter-energy conversion was recorded to take place ten minutes after the download. It transported you to the Hunter-craft. At that moment the vehicle was operated by remote. Unfortunately I could not establish an interface with the ship's systems without the Power Suit. I could not control its destination_."

Adam couldn't, but her Power Suit could have. Samus was recalling now. Just before she lost consciousness, Houston Armstrong had acquired her Power Suit. Then that means Houston…

Chuckling, Samus shook her head ruefully. "Now I'm conflicted. I'll guess I'll have to figure out what to do with him when I seem him again, and I will see him again Adam. I'm going to get my Suit ba-"

"NURSE! NURSE!"

What the? An older woman in a bed next to hers was gesturing to Samus wildly. It never occurred to Samus that she may not be the only patient at this hospital, and no doubt she must've looked crazy, talking to herself like that. "Shh!" whispered.

"This mad woman keeps talking to herself!"

"Quiet! Shh!" Samus whispered harshly, and she was considering silencing the woman when the nurse hurried up to them. 

She went up to the gesticulating woman and quieted her down gently. "Please be kind, Gwen," she said soothingly. "She's just a child, and she's been through a lot."

"But-but she keeps on talking!"

"I'll tell her to be a little quieter. Is that okay?"

The woman mumbled and turned her back to the both of them. Samus could see that both of her legs where bandaged up. Looking around she noticed that there where a number of patients with injuries around their torsos and limbs lined up in her room. It looked a little like a triage centre. She turned to the nurse and frowned. "I'm sorry. I was thinking aloud…I do that sometimes."

"That's quite alright," the nurse said with that eternal sunny smile of hers. Then she shielded her mouth and whispered, "Don't mind Gwen, she gets a little worked up sometimes." She then started to straighten Samus' sheets. "Are you ready for some dinner now?"

Samus nodded. "Thank you. I never got your name."

"It's Grace. Nurse Grace, or Gracie or just Grace, it's all fine. And do you remember yours? I'd like to stop calling you 'Doe' all the time if I can."

"Samus."

Grace closed her eyes and smiled at her. "Well Samus, you sit tight and I'll get your dinner for you."

"Wait," the bounty huntress blurted as Grace turned to leave. She stopped and turned to her. "Do you know what happened to my ship? The one you all found me in?"

Sadly, Grace frowned and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm afraid the soldiers kept it. Compensation they say, for saving your life. I don't think it was right, they took almost everything…but these are rough times."

They took it? What the… Samus glanced around, feeling lost, and finally turned to face Grace evenly. "Why…what's going happening on this planet?"

"Oh Samus," Grace said solemnly, shaking her head. "I'm afraid you crashed-landed in the middle of a war."

**Dither Bikky says:**

What can I say? School and blah blah blah. Sorry about that. It's summer and I haven't decided on whether I'm taking summer es again or not. If I'm not then expect a lot more updates for all of my fics. If I am…well…you know the drill. In any case, enjoy!


End file.
